


How You Turn My World

by sailorbowie



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Gen, Jareth is dating her mom, Magic, changed ways?, hoggle - Freeform, jareth being supportive, platonic, sarah has a cruuush, sarah is gay screw the rules, sarah's mom!!, toby is adorable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-07-04 15:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15844107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailorbowie/pseuds/sailorbowie
Summary: When Sarah's mother Linda stops by for a weekend visit, she brings along an unexpected guest. Sarah could have sworn the Goblin King was left behind in the underground, but how can she be sure once strange things begin to happen around the house? Can she learn to trust again?





	1. Makes No Sense For You

**Author's Note:**

> This is all inspired by a theory of a familiar looking but the un-mentioned character named ‘Jeremy’ appearing in newspaper pictures with Sarah’s mother Linda by her dresser, and the official music video for “As The World Falls Down” implying that this man is actually Jareth... more details after the story! Also big thanks to @SRjackson for giving this a good beta.

Sarah found herself troubled in the weeks following the incident. There were times that she stared at her reflection in the mirror wondering if it was all a dream. It’s certainly not every day that your baby brother’s kidnapped by a goblin king, anyway.

 

This weekend was a rarity, in which her mother stayed over while her father and stepmother were away. Her parents had been divorced for quite some time, but it didn’t stop Sarah much at all. Her mother was busy with filming for the most part, which was why she was never really around. She sat by the vanity, her head rested on her hands. The doorbell rang, and Sarah raced down the stairs. Her mother, Linda, stood at the door, arms open.

 

“MOOOOOOOOOOM!” she screamed as she ran into her hug, nearly knocking her aside.

 

“Ah! Sarah, easy dear… you know I’ve got a bad hip! It’s so good to see you again….How’s Toby?”

 

Sarah paused in the middle of her embrace and pulled back. “Uhh, he’s good, yeah. He screams a lot but I’ve been actually warming up to him more. I even gave him Lancelot!” she explained.

 

“Oh, that’s wonderful to hear! I can’t wait to see how Toby’s grown! Sarah, there’s someone that I’d like you to meet...” her mother began. Sarah’s eyes narrowed wearily as she drew her attention to a blonde man by a shiny car. He was taking two suitcases out from the trunk.

 

“I feel like…I feel like I’ve seen that man before.” Sarah mentioned, looking over her mother’s shoulder.

 

“I work with him, you know! He’s also from England.  But, yes, he’s an actor too, so he’s familiar to a lot of people. Honey, do you need help with that?!” Her mother turned around just as the tall man carried the suitcases up the steps.

 

“No, darling, it’s fine, I’ve got it covered!” he replied, giving her a peck on the cheek, a snake-like smirk on his lips.

 

Sarah’s heart caught in her chest as their eyes met. They were exactly the same mismatched ones that had challenged her, the same gentle eyes that offered a dance in a dream.

 

_“But it couldn’t be…..could it?”_ she thought to herself. Sarah’s mother put an arm around her, leading her closer.

 

“Sarah, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend Jeremy! And honey, this is my daughter Sarah!”

 

Sarah had to force herself not to stare too long, but it seemed that Jeremy wasn’t all that bothered, offering his hand and a devilishly warm smile.

 

“It’s very nice to meet you Sarah! I’ve heard a lot about you.”

 

She shook his hand, in some sort of disbelief of everything around her. Her vision was out of focus, and for a moment she almost thought she was in that ballroom again.

 

_“Does he even?…..Was I really?…..But then is he?”_ So many questions flooded her mind that she was utterly blank with confusion.

 

“Jeremy, please excuse her, she’s a little bit starstruck!” her mother insisted. Sarah finally let go and shook her head.

 

“I am not! It’s just, well, weird seeing someone famous here!” she defended herself haughtily.

 

Jeremy chuckled, “That’s quite alright. I’ll go and bring these upstairs.”

 

Sarah was left staring at him until her mother led her into the living room. The weary mother looked around at the decor, dissatisfied.

 

“So I’m guessing ‘Her Highness’ really liked changing the wallpaper....” her mother noted. Sarah twinged with some discomfort at being able to relate.

 

“Yeah, my stepmom….does her own thing. But the flowers are nice, though.” She tried to lighten the situation. Sarah then found herself staring at a green vase with some odd blue flower blossoming out of it, that seemed to be...moving?

 

“H-hey, Mom, did you see that?”

 

It disappeared inside the vase as soon as her mother turned around.

 

“See what?”

 

“Nothing...probably just some dust.” Her mother just shrugged.

 

“Well, I’m gonna go heat something up. You hungry?”

 

“Sure, uhh, Dad left some meatballs in the fridge. I’m gonna go check on Toby.” Sarah reminded. She crept up the stairs and went into Toby’s room. He seemed to be laughing at the stuffed animals in the corner.

 

Sarah went and picked one up, bringing it to his crib, “You wanna play with the magic dragon? Huh?” she played with it, then put it in his grabbing little hands. She smiled as Toby babbled something.

 

“You want another one? Alright, then…”

 

Sarah turned around to get another toy from the pile, only to find that some of them had disappeared. She looked around suspiciously and tucked him in.

 

She then decided to go back to her room, and while passing the guest room where her mother was staying, she noticed Jeremy having a frustrating phone call.

 

“No, you fool, you press the ‘End Call’ button! It isn’t that hard, Hubert!”

 

Sarah watched him sassily roll his eyes.

 

“Yes, sure, that too. Goodbye.”

 

He hung up and noticed her in the doorway, “Sorry about that, just an assistant of mine. He’s rather, erm, unfamiliar with phones…”

 

Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway, doubt in her voice.

 

“And _why_ would that be?”

 

“A bit of a foreigner. They don’t have that sort of technology where he comes from.” he answered, almost seeming confused too.

 

_“And where does he come from?”_ Sarah thought to herself. Her doubts weren’t entirely settled, but that seemed enough.

 

“Well, good luck with whatever it is you’re doing….Jeremy.”

 

The name was so similar but so strange on her tongue. She was nearly halfway down the hall when she heard him again.

 

“Thank you, Sarah…”


	2. Wasn't Too Much Fun At All

At dinner, things were surprisingly okay for the most part. The meatballs were great and the pasta was al dente. It was so good that Toby had it all over his face. Sarah helped wipe his face while listening to her mother, who animatedly talked about her new project with Jeremy.

 

“...and there’s gonna be these big explosions, that me and my other costar are gonna walk away from all cool and stuff. That’s what I’m allowed to say. Jeremy’s got a big part in it too, right dear?”

 

He was eating and nodded.

 

“Yes, I’ll be the antagonist of it. The director told me if this went well, I might be in the running of being a Bond villain...” Jeremy offhandedly boasted. Sarah narrowed her eyes a bit at him.

 

“So, are you used to being cast as bad guys?” she asked with the tone of a police interrogator.

 

Jeremy’s facade seemed to break a bit and his expression shifted slightly. He turned to her, blue and brown eyes staring daggers into her.

 

“Well, that depends sometimes. Do you see me as the villain type, Sarah?”

 

She froze, looking for something to say.

“Well, uh, you seem to be like the clever type. I guess that’s a good trait for a bad guy. You could be the kind that plays games with the hero.” Sarah mentioned, continuing to eat.

 

“Good observation. Linda, what do you think?” Jeremy said, turning to her mom. She stopped sipping her wine and smiled.

 

“Honestly, I think you’d do better in a sci-fi flick. You’ve said you’ve wanted to try that genre out. Maybe I can call my agent, he knows a guy who knows a guy who knows the guy who plays Data. But I do sorta see you as the bad guy type too.” Linda offered, smirking.

 

Sarah looked past Jeremy as he laughed with her and heard something roll past the doorway. Something glassy. She excused herself and went down the hallway where it seemed to go. Linda watched her with an arched brow.

 

“I hope she’s alright. She said she saw something earlier….”

 

Jeremy reached out and rubbed her hand.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’s just her imagination. You said she was into fairy tales once.” he reassured her. Still he stared.

 

Sarah looked around, but it was gone. She frowned, and went to the bathroom upstairs. Just then, she heard a shuffling come from Toby’s room. Sarah dashed inside.

 

“Aha!” she exclaimed. A furry little goblin was holding one of Toby’s alphabet blocks and dropped it. He yelped and tried to escape. But Sarah ran over and caught him.

“Hey, what are  _ you _ doing here?”she questioned, holding him up by his scruff.

 

“It was His orders! Let me go! I’ll drop it!” the goblin yelped. Sarah sighed and set him down. 

 

She bent down, “Are you talking about the Goblin King?”

 

The goblin nodded quickly. Sarah could hear more small footsteps around the room. She groaned.

 

“Okay, you, you, and all of you, can you guys just leave? I’ll go and reason with the King myself.” she insisted. There seemed to be no objection as she heard more scurrying and then silence. Sarah shook her head as she went down the stairs to the kitchen.

 

“Sarah, do want me to heat this up for you again? You were gone for a while.” her mother asked, concern in her voice.

 

She looked up at Jeremy with a brief but cold stare before turning to her mom.

 

“No, it’s fine, I can finish it. There was a bit of a mess in Toby’s room.”

 

Toby looked up at the mention of his name. He looked over to Jeremy.

 

“Bit of a mess maker, hm?” he teased to the baby. Toby only giggled and got more sauce on his hands.

 

Sarah avoided talking for the rest of the meal. She helped her mother with the dishes before heading upstairs into her own room, leaving the door open. Sarah sat down by the vanity, and combed her hair, thoughts still lingering.

 

No sooner had she put her comb down that she noticed an all too familiar reflection standing by her door. Jareth leaned his head against the frame, smiling awkwardly in his leather jacket. Sarah whirled her head around in shock.

 

‘Jeremy’ stood there, dressed normally compared to his reflection. Sarah’s eyes widened in realization.

 

“I think I might have overdone my eventual reveal.” Jareth said in a casual manner. Sarah crossed her arms.

 

“Why are you back?” she seethed. He looked somewhat offended.

 

“What? Am I not allowed to date your mother?”

 

“You stole my brother...”

 

“As  _ you  _ wished me to. And you’ve brought him back.”

 

“Why did you let me win?”

 

“I never let you, Sarah. You wisely ignored my meaningless offer.”

 

She stopped, remembering the moment right before everything came down. As his world fell down. Jareth came closer and sighed before he spoke up again.

 

“Now listen. Your mother is a very nice woman and I’m trying to settle more into this other life so I don’t screw things up... as Jeremy. And someone you can trust….at some point.”

 

“You poisoned me with a peach!” Sarah shot back. He bit his lip and looked off.

 

“Okay then. Right, well, let’s start fresh. Your mother doesn’t know about the Underground or the goblins and it can stay that way. Or, we can make this complicated again. What do you say?”

 

Sarah stared into his eyes, still weary.

 

“How can I be sure you won’t do anything crazy again? I just wanted things to be normal, and then you showed up. Jareth, I need to know I can trust you.” she said more seriously. The Goblin King was left conflicted.

 

“Alright then. In exchange for your trust, I will give you this.” Jareth calmly offered. He reached into his plain shirt and took off his hidden necklace that he wore in his kingdom. The hooked silver pendant dangled on the string as it was handed to Sarah.

 

“This is the most important thing I have. It holds some of my power, and I want you to protect it. In turn, if you are ever in desperation or in need of any help, it will come when you need it. And if it is an absolute emergency, I will come to you myself. All you need to do is wear it and wish it to be so.”

 

Sarah looked at it and slowly put it on. She turned to the vanity and saw that Jareth’s true reflection slowly faded into what was seen. Her face broke into a smile.

 

“So...wow, uh, thank you? Wow, this really means a lot, having this, it’s such an hon-”

 

“Don’t even think about calling me Jareth around Linda or discussing my kingdom’s existence. It will only make things more awkward for both of us.” he interrupted sharply. Sarah immediately straightened up and nodded.

 

“Yes, yep, I’ll do that. Or don’t do that. Understood. Comprende.” she said briskly.

 

Jareth gave her a single nod, then smiled back into a much sweeter persona.

 

“Well, Sarah, I find your Playbill collection quite impressive. Perhaps one day I’ll take you and your mother out to a show to help out. I’ll see you in the morning.” he casually mentioned, just a bit louder.

 

“That sounds like an amazing idea! Thank you so much, Jeremy! Good night!” she replied with a knowing wink.

 

Jareth winked back and shut the door on his way out. Sarah laughed and sat down again at her vanity. A few minutes later, she heard her mother’s footsteps approaching, and she turned around expectantly as it was opened.

 

“Hey honey! It’s good to see you’re getting along with Jeremy. I knew you two would click somehow.” Sarah nodded, trying to hide her smile.

 

“Yeah, he’s pretty cool to talk to. Told me some crazy stories.” Sarah mentioned. Her mother began to yawn.

 

“That’s nice, Sarah. I’m going to bed now, alright? Don’t stay up too late.”

 

“I won’t! Goodnight, Mom!”

 

She gave her daughter an air kiss, then closed the door. Sarah breathed out a sigh of relief, and took out the necklace to look at it again. There was some kind of intricate language engraved within the metal, a detail she hadn’t noticed beforehand.Sarah felt the pendant pulse with unseen energy.

 

“Woah...”

 

Sarah found herself thinking that this might not have been the worst idea.


	3. You'll Find Someone True

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Things are gonna get spicy~ Also thanks to my buddy Cade for beta stuff :D

Sarah’s eyes fluttered open, and she yawned. She sat up and blinked a bit, her eyes wandering around her room. A bunch of stuffed animals surrounded her bed, like the curious dwarves in Snow White. Sarah smiled before she blinked once more and realized that they were goblins.

 

She covered her mouth when she screamed, and then directed her attention to the one right next to her. 

 

“Hey, what’s the big idea?!” Sarah shout-whispered. The goblins chattered amongst themselves before the old-looking one spoke.

 

“By King Jareth’s orders, we were told to watch over your bedside and make sure no harm came your way,”

 

“Well the only thing harming me at the moment is my loss of privacy! Can you guys just go?” She pleaded. The goblins simultaneously replied, “NO! HIS ORDERS!”

 

Sarah groaned, rubbing her temple before she thought up a solution. “Well, I now order  _ YOU _ to get out of my way!”

 

The fluffy haired goblin shot back, “On what authority?!”

 

She flashed a devious smile and showed them the necklace, which made them all gasp and cower a bit in fear. 

 

“No! Don’t! We’ll go, we’ll go!” He yelped, as the goblins promptly scattered. They ran around a bit in panic before exiting through her closet door.

 

Sarah put away her necklace and sighed with relief. It seemed that the necklace did actually hold some power, and it wasn’t just another faerie trick created by Jareth. She noticed that it was still a bit dim outside, and her clock read 8:30. No one really gets up at that hour.

 

She decided to, though, and went down to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Sarah cracked two eggs and started some bacon, when she felt a fuzzy head rub against her leg. She looked down and saw Merlin whining softly, and smiled.

 

“Don’t worry, big guy, I’ll give you a little bit once I’m done, okay?”

 

Sarah gave him a head scratch and went back to cooking her eggs and bacon. Once she was finished she plated it and felt a tug on her shirt. Sarah broke off a piece of the bacon and turned around.

“Alright, Merlin, here you- GAH!” She jumped in surprise to see Hoggle standing there.

 

“Sorry for spookin’ ya, Sarah. Was wondering if I could maybe have a bite to eat?” he asked shyly. She really did start to feel like Snow White now.

 

“Uh...okay, but after this you should head back to where you came from. You really scared me there...”

 

“Aww, I’m sorry. I was just wondering what the grub’s like above the ground.”

 

“It’s alright,” Sarah grabbed a muffin and put it in the toaster oven and leaned against the counter. “So the kingdom, it’s actually underground?”

 

Hoggle grunted in agreement. “Well, you see, uhh, it’s part of the Underground as a whole. There’s other realms in there too. You’ve got the faeries, they’re a bunch of pesky things. Elves, too, they’re really full of em’selves...” 

Some of this seemed too strange to be true. Hoggle got more into detail about the odd hierarchies with the different mythical creatures that Sarah had no idea even existed up until that point. It seemed there was everything in the Underground. But something still lingered in her mind that she hesitated to ask.

 

“The elves and faeries are kinda related you said? I was wondering, is Jareth one of them? Or is he one of you guys?”

 

Hoggle paused in the midst of his explanations. “Well, uhhh, you see, he’s actually....” The toaster dinged before he could continue. Sarah sighed and carefully took out the muffin and wrapped it up to give to Hoggle.

 

“Ah, thank you, Sarah! This is an odd shape for bread. I’ll be heading off now. Take care!”

 

She waved to Hoggle as he went through one of the closet doors in the hallway.  _ “They must be gateways of some kind...magic is wacky.” _ She thought to herself.

  
  


* * *

 

After breakfast she dug around for her script in her school bag. Sarah had managed to snag a decent role in the school musical production of ‘The Sound of Music’. She had hoped to get the lead role as Maria, but was casted as the Baroness. The new girl Nancy managed to get Maria, to the surprise of many.

 

Sarah glanced over her lines, thinking about the auditions a few weeks back. Nancy’s voice was heavenly singing ‘My Favorite Things’ and her short, honey blonde hair seemed to make her born for the role. Sarah remembered catching her chestnut eyes and feeling...something. Envy? Awe?

 

She was in the middle of highlighting her lines daydreaming about Nancy in some alpine outfit when she heard footsteps coming from down the stairs.

 

“Good morning, Sarah,” Jareth quietly greeted. Sarah looked up from her daze. “Practicing for something?”

 

“Yeah, it’s a musical for school. I don’t have a singing part really, so I just have some lines to remember.” There was an edge of bitterness in her voice.

 

“That’s a shame, I imagine you have a nice voice. Who stole your thunder?”

 

“Well, I really don’t mind that she did. This girl Nancy from out of town actually got the main part. She’s actually pretty good, and I’m in this one scene with her. Her character’s got a love interest who’s planning on marrying mine, but he’s really in love with hers and...I’m conflicted,” Sarah admitted. Something felt off about the last read through. Nancy as Maria staring at Tom as Captain Von Trapp as they share cute bonding scenes. 

 

“Is the male love interest yours too?” Jareth asked, sitting across from her.

 

Sarah’s confusion soured into frustration. “No. No he’s not. It’s just, gosh, it’s her. I don’t know why but I look at her and I get these butterflies. Nancy is just so funny and makes us all laugh and sometimes we lock eyes and…..ARGHHHH!” She smushed her face into her script. Jareth tsked and put a hand on her arm.

 

“Young love can be a very tricky thing. How does she feel about fruit?”

 

Sarah looked up and noticed Jareth offering a peach. She gave him a stabbing glare.

 

“I was just joking, just joking… Though if you really want to be sure, maybe you ought to spend more time with her. Invite her over to read over the script over. You have to be sure before you set your heart on her.” Jareth suggested.

 

“I mean, it could work. Do you think she would say yes to that? Oh my gosh am I really...like that? I didn’t think I would be.” She was flooded with fear by this new realization.

 

“Whatever path you choose, I’ll always be on your side.”

 

“I don’t know what else I could even do. What if my parents find out?” 

 

“Sarah, the last thing I would do is tell your mother or father. Your secret is mine too. Besides, even if they’re not as open-minded, you shouldn’t put yourself down for it. No one can change who they are. I can’t, and you can’t. ” Jareth reassured. Sarah found herself grinning a bit.

 

“What is it that  _ you’ve _ gotta change? You seem pretty normal to my mom.”

 

He scoffed, looking away. “Yes, to your mother, and somewhat to you. There’s a lot you won’t be hearing about me. I don’t like my past and just want a better future.”

 

Sarah noticed that he looked a little bit serious, and decided not to press it. “We-ell, I’m just gonna study up on my almost literal 5 lines of being a fancy Baroness.”

 

“And I’ll go back to being Jeremy. Er, and could you show me how to make broiled eggs please?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you guys like Hoggle's cameo! Believe me, there's more to come.

**Author's Note:**

> I've really enjoyed the idea of Jareth leading a double life, and there's even an implication of this in the "Underground" music video where we see David Bowie simply walking into the realm. Or is it the Goblin King coming back from another day as 'Jeremy'? Interpret what you will. I hope you enjoy this little slice!


End file.
